Continuous filament interlacing, bulking or tangling apparatus



July 30, 1968 w. e. VAN HOLTEN 3,394,440

CONTINUOUS FILAMENT INTERLACING, BULKING OR TANGLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 11, 1966- 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- WILLEM G. VAN HOLTEN Q/a/nm July 30, 1968 w G VAN HOLTEN 3,394,440

CONTINUOUS F lLAMENT INTERLACING, BULKING OR TANGLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 11, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG?) INVENTOR. WILLEM G. VAN HOLTEN w. G. VAN HOLTEN 3,394,440 CONTINUOUS FILAMENT INTERLACING. BULKING July 30, 1968 OR TANGLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 11, 1966 w NV mm/ &

O0 hm mm mm mm mm INVENTOR. WlLLEM G. VAN HOLTEN BY 762f United States Patent r. 3,394,440 CONTINUOUS FILAMENT INTERLACING, BULK- ING OR TANGLING APPARATUS Willem G. Van Holten, Apeldoorn, Netherlands, assignor to American Enka Corporation, Erika, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 571,949 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Aug. 20, 1965,

. 2 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Improvements in'apparatus operated by fluid under pressure for intertwining, interlacing, knotting, tangling, bulking or otherwise agitating or treating man-made and thermoplastic filaments, yarns or threads, comprising a housing, closure means comprising the major portion of or slidably positioned within said housing supporting a yarn treating jet assembly, said means adapted for reciprocating movement when subjected to either mechanical or-fluid pressure and defining an open and closed yarn insertion and treating (intertwining, interlacing, etc.) position for the apparatus; the yarn insertion (open) position is defined by an absence of a pressurized fluid passing through the jet assembly and a yarn treating (closed) position is defined when the closure means is subjected to fluid under pressure and when a treating fluid passes through the jet assembly into a yarn treating chamber.

This invention relates to an apparatus for treatment of yarn and more particularly to an apparatus for intertwining, interlacing, knotting, tangling, bulking or otherwise agitating or treating loosely associated, substantially untwisted man-made and synthetic multifilament yarns by action of a gas passing across or through said yarns and in the form of a high velocity jet stream.

In the textile industry it is a well-known fact that manmade and thermoplastic yarns having substantially no twist are diflicult to handle in textile processes such as weaving and knitting because the parallel filaments are only loosely associated and therefore incur problems in manufacture and handling caused by an inherent lack of cohesion. In order to overcome lack of cohesion, it is normally necessary to provide a twisting step and, if required, the twisted threads are also in known manner subjected to a sizing operation. However, twisting and sizing operations, as presently known, are very time consuming and constitute an additional step and thus increase the cost of overall yarn manufacturing operations. From a standpoint of economy, if nothing else, it is therefore highly desirable to eliminate twisting, providing the filaments can be made to cohere by other methods.

Recently in yarn manufacture, a relatively inexpen sive method has been developed providing coherency of man-made and synthetic filament constituting yarns utilizing high velocity fluids such as air, inert gas, steam and the like. The workable concept provided by this method envisions introducing a fluid under pressure and at a high velocity to effect turbulence in a zone when a loosely associated parallel filament yarn bundle is positioned therein. The turbulent fluid causes the parallel ends to form loops and convolutions along the individual filament axis, and realizes a coherent mass which would otherwise only be obtained by sizing and/or twisting the filaments. Thus the confused cohered mass is characterized by a multiplicity of loops along the individual filament axis of the filaments comprising the yarn bundle. The yarn obtained, with the multiplicity of loops and convolutions interlaced, is usually referred to as tangled yarn.

Tangled yarn may be obtained using a variety of now patented apparatus. The apparatus usually comprises thread guides to position filaments to be interlaced and along a path which intersects the center line of the jet device providing high velocity fluid flow. The filament bundles to be tangled are positioned in front of the jet device in a blowing chamber. This type apparatus can be found in U.S. Patent 3,167,847.

U.S. patent aplication Ser. No. 321,244, filed Nov. 4, 1963, now U.S. Patent No. 3,273,330 and commonly assigned herewith, provides for a similar process and apparatus for joining ends of two or more filament bundles.

The advantage of joining yarn ends by tangling or interlacing primarily resides in avoiding the necessity of gluing the ends or tying them together in oversize knots. Joining the ends is accomplished by arranging two filament bundle ends parallel to each other in an overlapping manner, and, while either holding or clamping the overlapped portions within the apparatus, a jet of fluid is directed across the overlapped portions. The jet of high velocity fluid results in tangling th filaments and thereby causes the ends to be in effect fluid spliced. Friction between the thus tangled filaments results in a joint having substantially the tensile strength of unbroken yarn or filaments per se.

Still more recently, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 513,973, filed Dec. 15, 1965, now U.S. Patent No. 3,363,- 294 also commonly assigned herewith, provides means for automatically enclosing a bulking or tangling chamber which is connected to an enclosed muffler. A muflier or some type of sound reducing structure is a prime requisite for lowering, and if possible preventing, extremely high noise levels. Fluids used in such operations issue from the jets at high speeds and cause an extremely high pitched nose. This noise at least is an extreme nuisance and in many cases is also harmful to technicians working around or operating the apparatus, particularly if a number of apparatus are operating at one time and in the same location. The operating efficiency or effectiveness of the air jet yarn treating apparatus increases directly in proportion to the noise produced by the gas discharging through the orifice and resonating throughout the blowing chamber. Optimum results are obtained only when the fluid velocity and pressure are increased to such an extent that the noise produced thereby is usually unbearable unless the operator wears earplugs. While both patents, in their use of sound insulating or inhibiting material and in providing means for automatically enclosing a blowing chamber have worked satisfactorily in lowering noise, they do not completely solve the noise problem.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the production of bulked, intertwined or man-made or synthetic yarns using high velocity fluids.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus for tangling and/ or joining yarn ends by using a high velocity fluid having a lower degree of noise than prior art apparatus.

These objects of the invention may be accomplished by providing improvements in an easily transportable cylindrical shaped apparatus having means operated by fluid under pressure to automatically enclose and bulk running lengths of yarn and/ or tangle or interlace, etc. loosely held parallel yarn bundles. The improvements contemplated are in providing a means to align yarn guides used to position the yarn to be bulked, interlaced, entwined or tangled in a blowing chamber and in a means controlling the flow of fluid which serves both to completely enclose the device and to thus treat filaments of a yarn bundle positioned therein.

In embodiments shown as comprising the invention, the blowing chamber wherein the yarn bulking or tangling takes place is essentially defined by a reciprocable plungor carrying a jet tangling assembly,-a yarn receiving slot, and the plunger is enclosed by a cylindrical housing also having a cooperating yarn-receiving slot.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 represents the apparatus according to the invention in a longitudinal cutaway section;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view along line IIII in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows the apparatus of FIGURES l and 2 in plan view;

FIGURE 4 shows the detail of a slightly different embodiment of a segment of the apparatus shown in FIG- URE l; and

FIGURE 5 shows a detailed longitudinal cutaway view of an additional embodiment.

In the figures, like numerals refer to like parts.

Particularly referring to FIGURES l and 2, numeral 1 refers to the cylindrical housing containing the bulking or tangling jet apparatus and defining the blowing zone. The housing is secured by collar 2 fastened to flat supporting member 3 by bolt 4. For the sake of clarity, only one bolt is shown in the drawing, however, it should be understood that more than one may be used. Reciprocable plunger 5 is guided by the inside of housing cylinder 1. The plunger 5 is prevented from rotating by pin 6 attached to the cylindrical housing and fits loosely in guide slot 7 of the plunger. Composing part of reciprocating plunger 5 is an annular support member 8 which serves to properly support and position jet 9. A segment of jet 9 is also adapted to slide back and forth in a circular channel-like opening 10 of support 3 which directly communicates to a fluid feed conduit 11. There is also provided in support 3 an annular groove 12 adapted to contain sealing ring 13. Sealing ring 13 prevents excessive escape of gases around the jet device.

Jet 9 has a channel 14 which terminates in a diverging fluid exit orifice 15. Tap or set screw 16 keeps the jet appropriately positioned in ring or annular member 8.

Facing orifice 15, there is a cylindrical bushing 17 provided with an opening 18 which is clamped in the narrow end of a cylindrical plug or threaded bolt 19. Bolt 19 is positioned in the narrow part 20 of reciprocable plunger 5. Slot 21 provides for adjustment of the bolt assembly and, accordingly, resonance chamber 22. Any suitable means, for example, set screw 23 can serve to fixedly maintain bolt member 19 when it is properly positioned in an axial direction relative to the Plunger carrying the jet.

Internally threaded cap member 24 is attached to externally threaded part 20 of plunger 5. Collar 26 of cap 24, when plunger 5 is in the position shown in the drawing, is in contact with shoulder or abutment 27. Abutment 27 is formed by a rim 28 and composes part of the cylindrical housing 1.

The interior 29 of reciprocable plunger 5 defines a blowing chamber and located therein is resonance or cushioning chamber 22. As perhaps can best be seen in FIGURE 2, blowing chamber 29 is bordered by a threadreceiving slot 30 which extends along half of the circumference of plunger 5. This slot ends in two diametrically opposed openings 31 and 32 provided in recesses 33 and 34, respectively, serving as thread guides. Provided in recesses 33 and 34 are lips 35 and 36 which may be adjusted with the aid of set screws 37 and 38. In extending lip portions 35 and 36 are clamping discs 39 and 40 which, because of their constant contact with the yarns being treated, it is preferred that they be made of a relatively hard metallic material. Discs 39 and 40 are provided with narrow slots 41 and 42. To prevent damage of the yarn being treated, it is preferred that the walls of the slots be well rounded and smooth.

Cylindrical housing 1 has a yarn receiving slot 43 which extends on half of its circumference and corre- 4 sponds to circumferential extending slot 30 and the reciprocating plunger. It is preferred that intheuzylindrical housing there be located two diametrically opposed discs 44 and 45 which are identical to discs 39 and 40 in plunger 5.

All the yarn receiving slots will be in alignment when the plunger is in an open position; that is, when a-supply of operating and tangling fluid is cut off. Threadreceiving slots 30 and 43 are positioned on the same side of the vertical center line 46 as shown in FIGURE Fluid removal channels 47 and 48 are provided in annular support 8 and blowing chamber 29 is in direct communication with the noise muffiing space 49 therethrough. Although only two fiuid removal channels are shown, others can be machined in the support, if desired. The muflling space is defined by annular support 8, support 3 and cylindrical housing 1 and is partially bound by the outer surface of circular jet 9. Channel 50 and support 3 interconnect the space with fluid discharge channel 51 indicated in FIGURE 1 by the broken lines. Although not shown, fluid discharge channel 51 may be connected to a suction line through which the fluid from the assembly is removed. When the plunger is in the position shown in FIGURE 1, it is to be assumed that it is in an operating position. That is, the apparatus is completely closed from the outside with the exception of a small space around the edges of the yarn supporting openings 31 and 32. When a supply of fiuid operating the plunger is cut off, plunger 5 recedes and the rear side wall or abutment 52 of annular support 8 contacts wall 53 of cylindrical housing 1, thereby stopping rearward movement thereof and yet leaving sufiicient space between nozzle 9 in channel 11 to allow some fluid passage.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in FIGURES l-3, operation of the apparatus is as follows.

Assuming the apparatus is in an open condition and plunger 5 and wall 52 are in an abutting relationship with wall 53 of the cylindrical housing, the thread-receiving slots 30 and 43 in the plunger and a housing align to form one thread-receiving slot. The yarn to be tangled then may be brought into the blowing chamber 29 and is positioned in slots 41 and 42 of discs 39 and 40, respectively. Alignment of the yarn-receiving slots for positioning the yarn is obtained only when the apparatus is in this open position and the supply of operating entangling fluid is in some manner shut off.

When supplied through conduit 11, the fluid drives the plunger forward and forward travel is stopped when cap 24 abuts wall 27. Discs 39 and 40, being part of the plunger, carry the yarn. This position is referred to as the operating position and the two yarn-receiving slots in the plunger and the cylindrical housing overlap only to the extent that they form two eyelets which completely surround the yarn and serve as yarn guides. The centers of the eyelets define a path for filaments and correctly position the yarn directly in front of the jet orifice 15. Adjustment of the discs (and accordingly the eyelets formed thereby) carried by the plunger relative to discs 44 and 45 secured in the housing may be made by turning cap 24.

As briefly discused above, the fluid causing reciprocation of the plunger into the operating" position also serves to tangle the yarn. It passes through jet device 9 into blowing chamber '29 and through the filaments, thereafter entering resonance chamber 22 through opening 18. The air becomes highly turbulent in the chamber and as a result an optimum intertwining effect is obtained and the filaments are thoroughly interlaced.

When the plunger is in the operating position, air is continually removed from the device by way of channels 47 and 48. It enters mufiier space 49 and leaves by way of opening 50 through the discharge'channel 51 which is connected to a suction pump. The diameters of the various discharge channels (47, 48 and including muffler space 49, opening 50, and fluid discharge channel 51) are considerably larger than that of the jet orifice to permit the fluid to be discharged at a low speed.

After a sufiicient time to complete bulking or tangling, or should a length be broken, the yarn may be removed by merely depressing cap 24. Depressing the cap pushes plunger 5 to the rear wherein the extension of jet assembly 9 cuts off the major portion of the fluid supply. When the yarn is reinserted, the cap is then released whereupon the plunger will again be driven forward by fluid pressure acting thereon and it will again assume the operating position wherein tangling takes place.

The air supply to the blowing (or, if preferred, the bulking or tangliug) chamber may be cut off completely upon a continual depression of cap 24 by modifying the structure somewhat in support 3 and/or the rear portion of the jet. As shown in FIGURE 4, a threaded insert is provided in support 3 having a circular groove 55 in communication with a slot or channel 58. Therefore when the cap is depressed, for example, by hand manipulation, the rear portion of jet 9 will completely abut the insert and close channel 11 as well as channel 58. Some pressure will, however, still be exerted against the rear of the jet through channel 58 communicating to main channel 11 through side channel 61 and connecting channel 60 and when the cap is released, pressure acting on the rear of the jet will then cause the Plunger to move forward to an operating position.

Adjustment of threaded insert 54 to insure proper seating of the jet can be made by turning key 59.

FIGURE 5 also shows a diflFerent embodiment wherein the blowing chamber 29 and jet 9 is fixedly maintained and surrounded by a movable cylindrical housing 1. In other words, housing 1 will slide back and forth when under the influence of air pressure along a fixed cylindrical member now labeled bushing 5. The yarn-receiving slots are the same construction as shown in FIGURE 1.

At its rearward end, cylindrical bushing 5 defines an annular muflier chamber 49 enclosed on one side by annular support 3 which is essentially of the same construction as shown in FIGURE 1. Annular support 8 positions the now stationary jet device 9. Wall thereof supports resonance chamber 22 attached to threaded plug 19'. Movement of cylindrical housing 1 in a rearward direction is limited by support 3 and in a forward direction by the head of bolt 62 threadedly attached to support 3 Fluid channel 63 allows a flow of pressurized fluid through the bushing to operating space 65. Consequently, during operation and when a fluid, such as gas, enters the apparatus fluid pressure will be asserted against the sidewalls in the space and will maintain the structure in the position as shown in the figure.

Attached to collar 2 is pin 66 which slides in bore 67 of support 3. When cap 24 is depressed, the fluid flow is essentially shut off by pins 66. When the cap is released, however, enough fluid will pass through channel 63 to cause forward movement of the housing.

Thus it will be apparent that the present apparatus not only has the above-described advantage of reducing noise levels, but has an additional advantage attendant with compact construction which facilitates handling and point-to-point movement with ease. Moreover, it can be used to splice yarn ends or to continuously tangle a running length of yarn. In tangliug continuous lengths of yarn, it has been found that a more orderly entanglement and less bulking occurs. This contributes to maintaining 6 the initial yarn denier after passage through the apparatus.

Inasmuch as various modifications will become apparent to those skilled in this art, it is intended that the present invention be limited only as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-closing apparatus for intertwining, bulking, tangliug, interlacing or otherwise agitating a plurality of artificial filaments comprising:

(a) a fixed cylindrical member,

(b) a filament fluid treating jet device supported by said fixed cylindrical member,

(c) a fluid treating chamber defined by said fixed cylindrical member,

(d) a housing adapted for movement in a first and a second direction along said fixed cylindrical member,

(c) said fluid treating jet device having an orifice projecting into said fluid treating chamber,

(f) a resonance chamber supported by said fixed cylindrical member within said fluid treating chamber and in alignment with the orifice of said jet device,

(g) cooperating filament guides in said housing and in said fixed cylindrical member to position filaments between said orifice and said resonance chamber,

(h) means for admitting fluid under pressure into said apparatus,

(i) said housing adapted for movement in the first direction relative to said cylindrical member when said fluid is admitted to said apparatus, and

(j) means attached to said housing for cutting off a major amount of said fluid being supplied to the apparatus when said housing is moved in the second direction along said cylindrical member.

2. In apparatus for treating man-made or thermoplastic filament yarn by fluid flow utilizing a jet assembly, the improvements comprising, in combination:

(a) a housing,

(b) movable closure means within said housing adapted for movement in a first direction when subjected to a fluid under pressure,

(c) said means further having an open and closed position wherein yarn is inserted and respectively treated by a fluid flow,

(d) yarn receiving means provided in said housing and in said closure means overlapping to form a yarn guide means when said closure means is in a closed and operating position,

(e) said guide means positioning the yarn in a treating chamber in said closure means, and

(f) manually operable means in engagement with said closure and passing through said housing for causing the closure means to move in a second direction and accordingly assume an open, non-operating position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,219,356 10/1940 Dreyfus et al. 5734 2,220,024 10/ 1940 Pool 5734 2,995,801 8/1961 Cormier et al. 28-1 3,094,262 6/1963 Ashby et al. 57-34 3,125,793 3/1964 Gonsalves 281 3,167,847 2/1965 Gonsalves 281 3,169,296 2/1965 Clendening 28-1 5 JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner. 

